Broken
by T'Reilani
Summary: Riella's departure from the team has shaken everyone to the core – including her. Eventual Prowl/Riella. Sequel to "Fragile".
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Introduction: **Aaaand…introducing the sequel to "Fragile"! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or added it to their story alerts; your encouragement really kept me going!

Just a couple of quick things, then the story will start! First, this story has a higher rating than "Fragile" for a reason. It's definitely going to get into some darker territory. Nothing explicit – this is PG-13. But lots of violence, Cybertronian swearing, some sexual implications, and general creepy stuff. (Boy, that sounds professional…)

And second, since these first few chapters are going to be sort of angsty, _PLEASE_ tell me in a review if they're getting melodramatic. I want this to come across as real, not ridiculous.

**Disclaimer: **I own Riella and Shiftswitch. Any canon characters belong to Hasbro.

Okay, I'm done talking now. Enjoy the story.

_**Broken**_

**Chapter One**

**Spaceport 1, Junkion**

Riella checked the electronic paint chip one more time, making sure it was secure before she left the shuttle. Junkion might be the absolute middle of nowhere, but still, a blue Autobot femme would be noticeable. Especially if security officers later questioned the locals. No, it was best to use some kind of disguise, even if it was a rust-colored, battered paint chip that probably wouldn't work for much longer.

"Just for a few hours," she commented to the blurred reflection in the worn wall paneling. "It just has to last long enough for me to pick up some more permanent mods."

With a crunch and a depressurizing hiss, the hatch slid open and the exit ramp lowered. Riella edged cautiously down it and was almost immediately overwhelmed by the amount of sensory data she received. _Frag it all. _Junkion had the busiest spaceports in the sector, which was why she had chosen it; but 'busy' also meant 'lots of telepathic pressure'. With an irritated twitch, she stalked down the ramp and onto solid ground.

Random thoughts flicked through her processor as she pushed her way through the crowd. Some were in a rush, others were thinking about what they needed, and at least one mech was focused on the attractive femme several meters back. Riella shook her head. _Ugh. It was never like this on Earth. _Pain stabbed her spark as she shoved the thought away.

Most of the stores she would need to visit turned out to be just off the spaceport, to her relief. The inside of the first one was cool and dim, with various vehicle mods scattered along the wall. Someone was inside, she could tell. A mech.

"Hello?" the femme called, taking a few cautious steps further in. "Anybot here?"

"Well, hello little missy," a deep voice boomed from off to the side. She jumped and spun to see a burly Junkion with purple optics and a far-too-large smile holding out a hand to her. "I'm Shiftswitch. Not often we get your kind in here. How can I help you?"

She backed away, vents cycling a little harder in concern. "My kind?"

He chuckled. "A-Bots. The ones with pretty blue optics like yours. They always hit the further-in shops. Higher quality, they think." He snorted. "Sure, that's what they think! But you knew better, huh? So, what can I get for you?"

Riella cleared her oral intake awkwardly. "I need…to update my vehicle mode. It's a seventh-edition groundbike. I want to upgrade to a hoverbike." She probably wouldn't be able to get much more out of it than a heavier upgrade; it was an old model as it was, and her frame type wasn't really made for modifications.

"Hmm." Shiftswitch studied her for a long moment. "I think we can manage that. You do realize, of course, that this isn't a permanent modification; it'll be removable."

"Works for me." Riella narrowed her optics calculatingly. "What have you got?"

Twenty minutes of bargaining and experimenting later, Riella left the small shop rather pleased. Not only had she gotten the vehicle upgrade, she'd also gotten a better electronic color chip, a slightly more substantial heel strut, and best of all, a visor. Shiftswitch might have been able to recognize her as an Autobot before, but no one would guess after she'd added the mods. Her spark ached at the thought.

_I still want to be an Autobot. I still want to be Prowl's girlfriend. I still love him. I always will._

_I hope he forgives me._

**Autobot Base, Earth**

Jazz glanced at Prowl with concern as the smaller ninjabot started out the door again. "Hey, Prowler. Ya already had three patrols today. How 'bout ya let me do this one, and you take a break?"

"That is not my designation," Prowl muttered. "And I am not leaving on patrol." With that, he transformed and bolted out of the warehouse.

Jazz sighed. "How long d'ya think he'll take to get over her?"

"I don't know." Optimus shook his head. "I don't think he ever fully will. They were a lot closer than we saw."

"Poor guy." Jazz turned down the TV, prompting an irritated mutter from Bumblebee and Sari. "She was pretty rough on his spark, leaving like that without any way for him to ever talk to her again."

"Don't make that call too quick," Ratchet warned gruffly. "There was more to it than you know. A lot more."

Prowl transformed just before reaching the trees, and walked the rest of the way in. The little clearing where he and Riella had spent most of their time just before she…left…was still pretty, despite the fact that autumn was coming, and he wanted to keep it that way.

"Why, Riella?" he murmured, optics blurring with pain. "Why couldn't you trust me enough? Why didn't you let me take care of you?"

His knees buckled, sending him to the ground as he pressed the back of one hand against his mouth to stifle a sob. "Riella, I love you…I never would have let them hurt you. You wouldn't have let them hurt you! We could have been together…Why do this to us? Why?"

**Spaceport 1, Junkion**

Riella attached the last piece of her disguise and looked in the worn panel again. Her paintjob was now a dark orange, with gold trim on the shoulder kibble and chassis. Her audio fins had lengthened slightly, her lip components were now dyed a light shade of red, and her optics were covered by a dark red visor. She no longer resembled the Riella who had left Earth a few days earlier. None of them would recognize her.

Would Prowl?

Her lip quivered as she tried to suppress the thought, but it was too much. _Prowl…_

One hand raked down the panel when she crumpled to the floor, tears spilling from under the visor as her shoulders shook with sobs.

"I'm sorry, love. I'm so sorry…"

_Reviews would be loved! Tell me what you think! _


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for all the nice reviews! Yes, Shiftswitch will be showing up later. But for now, enjoy more tension, angst, and a whole new planet that I don't own. :D_

**Chapter Two**

**Riella's shuttle, in orbit above Axiom Nexus**

The femme blinked, still not quite used to the way the visor enhanced her field of vision and tinted it darker. "I need a name," she commented in the direction of the Autobot symbol painted above the viewscreen console. "I can't be Riella now. Not anymore." Her lip quivered at the thought, and she immediately crushed the grief before it could choke her.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in a wide scrape on the wall. Her optics flicked down, noticing how her frame shimmered different colors of orange and red depending on the light. "Firelight. I'm Firelight."

A few minutes later, the ship settled down on a small landing pad in an unoccupied corner of the Axiom Nexus spaceport. Riella made her way down the narrow ramp, handed the port attendant enough credits to rent the landing pad for a week, and started into the bustling city.

_The ship's emergency credit supply won't last for long. I need a job, and I need one soon. _She turned down a narrow street that reminded her somewhat of the underside of Iacon. _Not a job where I could be recognized…in a place no Elite Guard officer would ever think to look._

"Hey!" She sidestepped as a mech shoved his way past her. The crowd down here was made up of the type she had known and avoided on Cybertron; they were mostly tough, street-wise types, who didn't care who was in charge as long as they were left alone. She would need to play it carefully.

Someone else shoved her, and instinctively she elbowed them away. "Watch it, glitch!" Confidence building slightly, she pushed her way down the street until she spotted an open door and ducked through it.

The dim light inside revealed that she had entered a typical under-city oil house, empty except for a rather hungover mech at the bar and a red and white femme washing dishes behind it. When she heard Riella's footsteps, she looked up with a tired smile. "Welcome ta Minerva's Oil House, what can ah get for ya?"

"Bit early to be drinking, isn't it?" Riella had some difficulty understanding the bartender's accent; it was stronger than most.

The femme laughed. "Ya'd be s'prised. Ah've known bots ta drink all hours. Keeps mah business runnin'. So, if ya don't want a drink, somethin' else ah can do?"

Riella squared her shoulders, feeling the extra weight of her new kibble. "Actually, yes. I'm Firelight. Is there any possibility you need an extra hand around here?"

Making her way out from behind the bar, the femme studied Riella intensely. "Ah'm Minerva. Since Glim – mah last waitress – left, ah've been runnin' this place with jus' Road Rage. Ya willin' ta work night hours? Busy, a brawl now an' then, but ah pay good. If ya want th' job…"

Riella didn't hesitate. Minerva's friendly smile warmed her hurting spark, and her mental sense told her the femme could be trusted. "When do I start?"

**Somewhere outside Detroit, Earth**

Prowl rested his head against the top of his knees, unwilling to move. The pressure of hiding his grief in front of the rest of the team had emotionally exhausted him, and all he really wanted to do was fall asleep and wake up with someone telling him that it had all been a bad dream. _Riella…_He was so focused on the pain that he didn't hear footsteps behind him until the intruder spoke.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to remember that being left behind hurts like the Pit."

The ninjabot jumped and spun around, already shifting into a fight position. "Blackarachnia!"

She laughed as he raised a shuriken threateningly. "Oh please. If I wanted to hurt you, I could have done it while you were moping on the ground like a sparkling."

Prowl's jaw clenched angrily at the insult. "What do you want, to gloat?"

"No, I want to talk. As shocking as that may seem." Blackarachnia flicked a leaf off her shoulder. "You're not the only one who misses Riella, you know."

"Don't be ridiculous," Prowl snapped. "You barely even knew her."

The technorganic smirked. "I knew enough. Telepath, flawed, marked for death…Technorganic, flawed, probably marked for death. Not that much difference, really. She knew that."

Prowl frowned, trying to understand why this was important enough for the Neutral to find him and have this conversation. "You felt a kinship with her. So?"

"So, she felt it too!" Blackarachnia hissed. "Why else would she bother talking to me? You knew her better than anyone, you should understand that. See, that's the one difference between Riella and me."

"What is?" Prowl was getting more confused by every statement. "Would you just get to the point?"

"Fine." Blackarachnia turned away so that he couldn't see her face. "The difference between Riella and I is that she had someone who loved her enough to fight for her. At least, we both _thought_ she did."

The comment hit home. Prowl's optics flared behind his visor. "How _dare_ you imply that I don't love her? _She_ left, not me! Riella is the one who chose to walk away. I would have died for her!"

Blackarachnia spun and grabbed his shoulder, hard enough to hurt. "She left to _protect_ you! You and I both know she won't last long on her own. The wrong 'bot will catch her, or hear something, and then it's good-bye Riella. And you won't even know it happened, or if you could have done anything…"

"Stop it!" Prowl struggled to pull away, but her claws dug in tighter. "Why are you doing this? Are you just here to mock me?"

The femme's red optics flashed dangerously. "Do you love Riella, Prowl?"

"_Yes!_" the Autobot hissed, lashing out only to be pinned by a strand of webbing.

Blackarachnia glared directly into his visor. "_Then why are you still here?_ Why aren't you out there with her?"

Prowl's optics flickered, anger being replaced with grief once more. "Because…she didn't let me. And now I don't know how to find her."

The claws digging into his shoulder released abruptly, dumping him to the ground. He shook the webbing off, looking up at the technorganic indignantly. She narrowed her optics.

"Are you sure?"

Prowl glared back at her. "If I could find her, I would do it in a second!"

"If you were thinking clearly, you _would_ know how to find her," Blackarachnia growled. "Think, Autobot. She stole a shuttle by breaking the emergency lock."

"So?" The ninja tried to follow her reasoning. "She just…wait. Wait." Images of Riella struggling when they were building the base flashed through his processor. "How could she have done that? Riella's strong, but she doesn't have the weight to break a heavy lock!"

"Exactly." Blackarachnia bared her fangs in a smirk. "She had help. Specifically, a helper that was strong enough to bust that lock, stubborn enough not to care about the ship, and dumb enough to not catch on to what she was doing. Not to mention being easily manipulated by a pretty femme."

For the first time since Riella's message, Prowl could think straight again. He had a lead, and he was going to follow it. There was only one 'bot who fit _that_ description.

"Grimlock."


	3. Chapter 3

_Yes…poor Grimlock. He's in for it. :) Keep reviewing please! Oh yeah, and I don't own anyone that you can find on the Transformers wikipedia._

**Chapter Three**

**Dinobot Island, Earth**

The forest was far quieter than usual, which probably meant the Dinobots had been there recently. Prowl stepped carefully over a fallen log, listening for Grimlock's heavy stride. He wouldn't be hard to locate.

Blackarachnia dropped gracefully out of a nearby tree with a satisfied nod. "Right over the next rise. He's alone."

Prowl started in the direction she'd indicated. "You coming?"

"Hmmm….no." Blackarachnia smirked. "I don't think Grimlock particularly likes me anymore."

The ninja frowned. "Why, what did you do?"

"None of your business. Go on, move it."

Deciding he probably didn't want to know anyway, Prowl pushed his way through the trees into the clearing. Grimlock, in T-Rex mode, spun to glare at him.

"INTRUDER!"

"No, wait, it's me!" Prowl mentally cursed the Dinobot's rather small memory chip. "Remember, Grimlock?"

"Me Grimlock…know you." The Dinobot transformed, crushing several branches underfoot in the process. "Her girl-bot with you?"

Prowl winced. "Grimlock, Riella is gone. Did you help her leave?"

Grimlock shrugged. "Me Grimlock not see her leave."

_Oh come on. _"When did you _last_ see her? Where was she?"

"Uh." Grimlock puzzled over that one for a moment. "You cycle robot ask Dinobots to help find her."

"No, after that." Prowl resisted the urge to scream. This was pointless. "Did you help her break something?"

Grimlock's visor lit up, and Prowl knew he'd found the right question. The Dinobot grunted. "Me Grimlock help her break stupid truck robot's ship."

"Yes!" Prowl nodded urgently. "Did she say anything to you?"

"Hmm." Grimlock shrugged. "Her girl-bot say lots."

_Please remember what she said. Please. _"Did she say she was going somewhere?"

Grimlock looked rather proud of himself. "Her girl-bot say going far away from Cy-ber-tron."

"Far from Cybertron. Right. Did you see her take the part you broke off? Did she go somewhere with it?" Prowl forced himself to stop asking so Grimlock could answer.

The Dinobot shrugged again. "Me Grimlock not see her take it. Her girl-bot going other way from Cy-ber-tron, that way." Grimlock gestured vaguely toward the sky, but Prowl had his answer. Riella had gone the opposite direction from Cybertron.

"Did she say anything else? Like where she would be?" Grimlock probably wouldn't know, but it was worth a try.

"Uh-huh." To Prowl's surprise, Grimlock did have more. "Her say not be blue-bot anymore. Me Grimlock not find paint, though."

"So she's changing colors, but we don't know what. It's a start." The ninja nodded, processor already racing. "Grimlock, you have no idea how much you've helped."

"Me Grimlock not help. Me Grimlock DESTROY!"

"Whatever. Goodbye." Prowl transformed and raced back out of the Dinobots' territory, Blackarachnia catching up with him about halfway.

"Well? Did we get something?"

Prowl transformed to face her. "Opposite direction from Cybertron. And she's changing her color scheme."

Blackarachnia clicked her spider-legs. "That's not much to go on."

"But it's all I've got." Prowl squared his shoulders. "You were right. I should be with her. And I'm going to be."

"Good for you." Blackarachnia _almost_ showed a genuine smile. "I'm right behind you." At his surprised look, she shrugged. "What, you thought you could get rid of me? I started this slag, and I'm gonna see through."

Prowl shook his head in amazement. "How did you ever pull off being a Decepticon?"

She whacked him up the back of his head.

"OW!"

"That's how. Now get a move on, ninja boy."

**Minerva's Oil House, Axiom Nexus **

Riella entered the dimly-lit room at exactly the time her new employer had specified. Several mechs were already crowded around a table in the corner, and a few more were at the bar. Minerva smiled when she saw her. "Good, ya got here right on time. Lemme introduce ya ta Road Rage."

A tall, attractive femme with a red-white-and-blue paintjob stood up from one of the back tables, deep blue optics studying Riella intensely. Minerva gestured for her to join them. "Road Rage is th' bouncer. She'll help ya, if there's a fight or some such. An' RR, this is Firelight."

Road Rage nodded noncommittally. "Pleasure."

A jolt slammed through Riella's processor as she realized why Road Rage had caught her attention so quickly. Both femmes locked optics for a long moment.

_She's a telepath!_

"_Yes, and so are you." _

_What – but – how? Where did you come from? _

"_Probably the same place you did." _Road Rage's mental tone had a slightly cynical bite to it. _"Tell you what. Let's deal with this after our shifts are up. I'll buy the drinks."_

Riella hesitated, but every sense was screaming at her to accept. This was the first time she had actually met another telepath, after all… _Deal. _

"Well, now." Minerva was gesturing for Riella to follow her, as Road Rage started toward the door. "Ya can start by learnin' what's what…"


	4. Chapter 4

_STORY RECOMMENDATION! "Iron Fist, Iron Clad, Reign of Steel" by TacticianZephine. Definitely worth a read…or two, or three… _

_And for those of you who were hoping to see Lockdown, here's his entrance! Theme song: "Burn it to the Ground" by Nickelback. _

**Chapter 4**

**Minerva's Oil House, Axiom Nexus **

Halfway through the night, Riella had decided working in a bar wasn't all that bad. Yes, there was a bit of telepathic overload, especially from semi-drunk mechs. And yes, the music was far too loud for her tastes. But the overall atmosphere was pleasant, most of the 'bots that came in were reasonably polite, and no one looked at her any differently than the others. It was a good place to be totally anonymous.

At least, that was what she thought prior to the fight.

She was clearing away some empty cubes when the commotion in the back corner caught her attention. A large mech painted in various shades of green was looming over a smaller red femme, yelling into her face, and she looked scared despite yelling back at him. Before Riella had time to move, the mech had grabbed the femme's shoulders, throwing her back against the wall. "You'll pay what you owe me, or – "

Without thinking about it, Riella dropped her tray on the table, closed the space between them in three quick strides, and grabbed the mech's shoulder, yanking him away. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Red optics in a black-and-white face narrowed as the mech turned on her. "You might wanna ask yourself that question. Stay out of my business."

"Leave her alone!" Riella shot back. "I don't care what your business is, you can't settle it like that."

"Says who?" The mech turned back to the other femme again, only to have Riella shove him away.

"I do!"

The mech's narrow lips tightened in a smirk. "Oh, that's how you want to play it?" His right hand – a hook, she noted inanely – snapped out and caught her full across the face in a vicious backhand slap.

Riella stumbled backward, one hand instinctively going to her cheek before growling as the mech stepped toward her. "Oh, _bad_ move!" As his actual hand grabbed for her shoulder, she spun away, caught his wrist, and shoved her shoulder into his chest, flipping him sideways into the nearest empty booth.

"Well, now." The mech bared pointed dentas in a smile as he stepped clear of the table. "You've got a gift, kid. Doubt you could handle me, but then, you seem to want to try…"

"Lockdown, that's enough!" Road Rage, who had seen what happened from her post at the door, stormed over and placed herself between them. "You need to leave. Now. This kind of behavior is not allowed here and you know it."

With a final smirk in Riella's direction, Lockdown shoved his way through the crowd and left, slamming the door. Road Rage turned to look at Riella. "Firelight, you okay?"

"I'm fine." Riella brushed the dent on her cheek. "Sorry. I should have let you handle it. Now you've lost a regular."

"Not a problem. You obviously know how to handle yourself, and no one else got hurt. Besides, LD's no loss." The bigger femme nodded toward the bar. "You get back to work. I got it from here."

Riella made her way back to the bar, where Minerva looked concerned. "Ya okay? He's rough, but ah've never seen him go for a bartender…"

Nodding absently, Riella grabbed another tray, thinking about the encounter. _This Lockdown is trouble. Major trouble. I don't think I'll be walking down any dark alleys for a while. _

**Autobot Base, Earth **

"Let me get this straight, Prowl. You want to take the ship's shuttle and go out on your own, for who knows how long, and look for Riella. You don't know what planet she's on, or even whether she's alive. But you're going to go on Grimlock's word and search for her." Optimus shook his head. "Are you sure about this?"

Prowl nodded. "She needs me. She left to protect me…"

"Protect you from what?"

"Never mind." Prowl squared his shoulders. "I won't be alone."

Optimus narrowed his optics. "Who's going with you?"

"I'll go."

Prowl turned to see Jazz leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. The white ninja shrugged. "I liked the femme. Plus, I've done quite a bit of galactic travel. I can help you."

"Well…" Optimus sighed. "I hate to lose you two. But I can't argue with looking for a teammate. Be safe and come back."

As they left, Jazz glanced down at Prowl. "I know you weren't talking about me. Who's coming with us?"

"Wait until we get to the ship."

Blackarachnia leaned against the already-active shuttle, tapping her long fingers against it. "How nice, you brought a friend. Can we get a move on?"

"_She's _coming?" Jazz's jaw dropped.

Prowl sighed. It was going to be a long flight to the next planet.

_Review and don't forget to check out that story! _


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry guys, no Prowl this chapter. Hopefully you like the interactions with Riella and Road Rage. Yes, Road Rage is canon; look her up. :D Ember, the Intel officer Road Rage talks about, belongs to TacticianZephine and is used with permission. _

**Chapter 5**

**Minerva's, Axiom Nexus**

It was almost dawn by the time the last few 'bots cleared out. Riella yawned. "Wow. Was this a normal night?"

"Quiet," Minerva informed her with a laugh. "'Even th' little run-in with Lockdown is less'n usual, 't least in terms of damage. Ya sure ya alright? Ah never saw wha' happened."

Riella leaned against the bar. "I'm fine. It's just a dent. He's got a wicked punch."

"He should," Road Rage informed her. "Bounty hunter. That hook hand? There's a million different stories about how he got it, but I'll bet anything it wasn't an accident. I've seen him take out full-grown mechs." She looked Riella up and down appraisingly. "You don't look like much, but you've got it where it counts, girl – who trained you?"

Every sensor went on high alert, and Riella knew the other telepath had noticed her concern. _Oops._ "I picked it up here and there. I travel a lot."

"I'll bet you do." Road Rage shrugged. "Hey, Minerva, I promised 'Light here a drink after the night was up. D'you mind?"

The bar owner shook her head cheerfully. "Not long's ya close up. Glad ya get along."

_Maybe. Or maybe we're going to end up even more paranoid than usual. _Riella raised one hand in a slight wave as Minerva left the room.

Road Rage grabbed a couple of cubes from behind the counter. "You okay with regular high-grade?"

"That's great." Riella took the cube she was offered. "Thanks. So…what are the odds?"

"Of two telepaths ending up working in the same tiny bar?" At Riella's flinch, Road Rage sighed. "Look, kid, it's not a bad word. You are what you are. And speaking of which, what's your _real _name?"

"I told you," Riella snapped.

Road Rage shook her head. "We both know that's a lie. You can relax. I'm not gonna turn you in anymore than you'd turn me in. What is it?"

"…Riella," she muttered, staring at the glass to avoid having to meet the other's optics.

"Huh. Nice name. I'm gonna say….factory designation, war era?"

Riella had to admit it. "You're good. See? This is why I changed my name."

"You're not used to the change, though," Road Rage pointed out. "I can tell. You don't respond as quickly as you would if you'd used it forever." At the look from the other, she shrugged. "I used to work Intel on Cybertron. Elite Guard, the works. Had it pretty good, especially since Mirage – the old Intel commander – didn't ask _how_ I knew what I knew."

_So she lost a lot. Both of us did… _"What happened?"

"He retired, and the new Prime took over. You've heard about the crackdown?"

Riella's optics widened. "No…I hadn't. I've been out of the loop for a few millennia."

"Figures." Road Rage took another swallow from her cube. "Longarm Prime. He started a _major_ hunt. Funny thing is, it wasn't just telepaths that got kicked out. I had a friend who was really, really good, and when she started checking into recent Primes' pasts, she just…disappeared. For following Magnus's orders. And the mech they put in her place was useless."

Riella arched an optic ridge. "Sounds like Longarm Prime's not keen on anyone who looks at him too closely…"

"Agreed," Road Rage sighed. "I got picked out pretty quick, before even meeting him in person. I saw the mark on the 'pad and that was that. I got out of there and ended up here."

"I know the feeling." Riella shook her head and tapped on the table. "What happened to your friend?"

"Ember? She's fine. Works at one of the bigger nightclubs uptown as a singer." Road Rage stifled a yawn. "Lucky girl actually had a skill beyond Intel work. Wish I'd had her foresight. So what about you?"

"Well…" Riella bit her lip. _Where do you start describing an entire life? _"I was picked up in a routine scan when I was a sparkling. They sent me to one of their…"

"'Termination facilities'?" Road Rage nodded. "You obviously never got there."

"Actually, I did." Riella closed her optics behind the visor briefly. "Almost didn't make it out again. I still have the scars, and no, you don't want to see them. I lived on the streets for a while, then got caught stealing and had the choice of the stockade or training as a Cyber-Ninja. You know which one I picked."

Road Rage smirked. "Knew someone trained you. Dai Atlas?"

"Yoketron." Riella blinked away a sudden tear at the memory. "If it weren't for him – and Prowl, the other student at the time – I'd probably be dead."

The other femme had clearly sensed the emotions associated with that comment, because her tone softened. "You were close to one of them?"

"Prowl. We were…I don't know." Riella brushed irritably at her optics, forgetting about the visor. "Ow! More than friends, but not quite lovers...I guess. He knew. Both of them did. But they never…never said anything. I had to leave after another mech started saying things. Maybe he guessed, maybe he didn't, I don't know; I just got on his bad side. I couldn't…couldn't risk bringing Prowl with me, not like this."

"And you had to leave them…I'm sorry," Road Rage murmured sincerely. "I didn't have anyone back on Cybertron I was leaving. My caretaker died a long time before I had to leave. She was a telepath too…taught me a lot. That's why I made it so far without ever getting caught." She glanced at Riella with a spark of interest. "I could teach you some of what I know, if you want. Things like how to fool basic scanners, keep mechs from getting suspicious…"

"I'd rather not." Riella shook her head firmly. "I've survived this far without it."

Road Rage leaned forward, resting her elbows on the bar. Her doorwings stood straight out behind her. "So you want to accidentally hurt someone because you can't control your ability? Trust me, it's possible. I've seen it. But I can sense you want to do what's right. Even if no one else will ever know or believe you. I can help you do that."

Riella's temper flared slightly. "You keep talking about me. What about _you_?"

The other femme's smile turned bitter. "It's a bit late for me. But you – you're still young. Yes, even if you're technically older than me, you don't have much experience. You're sheltered, like a youngling. You have a lot you could do. Follow your spark all the way to the other end of the galaxy."

"Poetic." Riella set down her empty cube. "I'll think about it, but no promises…"

"That's the most I can ask." Road Rage tossed both cubes into the trash compactor. "Not that I'm telling you what to do, but I advise recharge. Tomorrow's gonna be a long night."

"Will do." Riella started toward the door, but turned back for a second. "…Thanks."

Road Rage nodded. "I've been waiting to say most of that for a long time. Have a good night – or should I say day."

_Review please! _


	6. Chapter 6

_Back to Prowl and company, plus a little more angst with Riella. Enjoy and review! _

**Chapter 6**

**Shuttle Bay, Junkion**

Blackarachnia slid open the landing ramp, optics narrowed against the brightness. "Lovely place, huh?"

"Not Riella's type." Prowl fiddled with his visor. "But if we're lucky, she'll have stopped here."

Jazz gestured to the bustling trade center visible from the shuttle's window. "If she wanted to change looks, this is the place to do it. But before we go out there, I gotta ask."

Prowl and Blackarachnia exchanged nervous looks. They both knew what Jazz wanted, but they had been avoiding the subject since leaving Earth.

"Why'd she run? Sure, they could've investigated her. Everyone already would'a known she was innocent."

"…Right. Except not," Blackarachnia snipped.

"Look, guys," Jazz sighed. "Don't do this, okay? Tell me what's up or don't. I don't care. But don't drag this out and make me wonder if I'm makin' the right call. So. Is Riella guilty?"

Prowl crossed his arms defiantly. "Not of anything that she _should _be convicted for. It shouldn't be illegal to have her processor formed a little differently. It's not her fault."

"A processing anomaly…" Jazz's optics narrowed behind his visor. "No way. Telepathy?"

Both of the others nodded.

"Unbelievable." Jazz shook his head. "She never struck me as the type…I mean, she's always so _normal_."

"That doesn't change anything," Prowl pointed out. "She was a telepath before you knew about it, she's still going to be one, there's nothing you can do about it. So are you still in, or do you find your own ride back to Earth from here?"

The Elite Guard held up one hand. "Whoa, take it easy, mech. I'm not leaving. It's just – well, I didn't really think…"

"Of course you didn't. No one ever did." Blackarachnia leaned against the console. "You either have to be familiar with telepaths to guess, or use a detailed scan to find the anomaly. Which would have happened if they investigated her, by the way."

"I know the drill." Jazz shook his head again, frowning. "So – she runs, she'd rather they think she's a traitor than find out she's a telepath, and we're still gonna try to find her? I'd guess she doesn't _want_ to be found."

Prowl glared at him for a moment, turned away, and stalked toward the ramp. "This is a waste of time. Stay with us and help find Riella, or hitchhike back to the Guard."

"He knows all that," Blackarachnia said softly, watching Prowl storm off the ship. "It's a really long shot, but come on, Guard boy, if it was your femme out there, would you want to hear how low the odds are?"

Jazz sighed. "Yeah. You're right. Sorry."

**Riella's Shuttle, Axiom Nexus Shuttle Bay**

_Everything is quiet in the dojo as the shuttle settles onto the landing pad…too quiet. Riella sets the control and goes to look out the window, spark pulsing quickly. _Is Prowl back yet? Maybe no one is here. _Then she sees that the ceiling is smashed in and most of the windows are broken. _

_Her feet crunch on shattered glass as she stops in the center of the main room. "Hello? Master Yoketron?" _

_She tiptoes down the hall toward the dorm rooms. _Prowl?

_Nothing._

_Suddenly she can sense someone's pain, like nothing she has felt in years…Oh, Primus, he's dying…their Master is dying…_

"_NO!" She runs for the bunker, there's a hole shattered in the wall and she can sense that Yoketron is just beyond it. She can save him, she has to. _

_But when she drops to her knees next to the broken body, it's not her Master. And the sense has changed…she was wrong…_

"_Prowl, no! No!"_

_But she is too late…._

…_and her spark feels as though it is ripping apart as he dies…_

Riella jolted out of the nightmare, tears streaming down her face. Shaking, she instinctively reached out for the comforting servo that had always been there when the nightmares came…

Only to remember that Prowl wasn't there, and never would be again.

Wrenching sobs tore from her throat as she buried her face against the bunk. _I wish I could go back…I want to go home…_


	7. Chapter 7

_I don't own Ember; she appears in this chapter mostly so I wouldn't have to make up another OC for the bar scene and partly because I have plans for her to show up more later. She belongs to TacticianZephine, who was nice enough to let me borrow her. _

**Chapter 7**

**Minerva's, Axiom Nexus**

Road Rage looked Riella up and down appraisingly. "_Someone_ looks like slag. Bad night?"

"I wish that described it," Riella muttered, grabbing a clean energon cube for the mech who had just walked in.

"Ready to try some of those control tactics now?"

Riella turned to glare at the other femme from behind the red visor. _Do you mind? Not out loud, please!_

"_Relax. No one cares what the bar girls talk about." _Road Rage eyed one of the new arrivals. "Hey, let me take that one his drink, 'k?"

The orange femme frowned as she handed another young mech a glass. "Why?"

"Remember Lockdown?" The former Intel agent lowered her voice. "That would be his partner, Oil Slick."

Riella's optics narrowed. "Same deal?"

"Yeah. Bounty hunting." Road Rage sighed. "If LD's bad, this one's worse. Kind of the mad-scientist type, you know? Except 'Con to the core."

"Bad," Riella agreed. "Okay. You already know what he wants?"

Road Rage nodded. "I'll take it to him, then I gotta watch the door. You stick around up here."

Riella mock-saluted and watched the other femme leave. _When, exactly, did we become friends?_

"Excuse me…"

"Oh, sorry." Riella shook away her thoughts and turned to the black femme on the other side of the counter. "Can I help you?"

"Yes. Just a regular high-grade, please."

Handing her the requested drink, Riella forced a polite smile. "Here you go. I'm sorry about that, I'm new here."

"Not a problem." The black femme rested one elbow on the counter. "My name is Ember."

"Firelight." Riella shook her hand briefly. "You're a…friend of Road Rage, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

Riella could sense that the other femme was reasonably friendly, even if she had the usual level of paranoia that came with Intel agents. And seeing that she had been kicked out of Intel, it probably wasn't unwarranted. "Nice to meet you."

"Hey! You!"

The orange femme groaned and resisted the urge to hit her head on the counter. "Lockdown. Why did it have to be him?"

Ember' purple optics narrowed curiously. "Has he been giving you trouble?"

"You could say that." Riella put on her sweetest smile as the green bounty hunter shoved his way to the bar. "Can I help you with anything, sir? Better business tactics, perhaps?"

Lockdown planted his real hand on the bar and glared down at her. "Look, kid, you screwed up one of my best deals. I'm not a mech who likes losing his credits."

"Does that sign up there say I care?" Riella pointed to the price sign behind her. "Because I don't."

The bounty hunter leaned forward, deliberately getting in her space. "You might wanna care, cutie. Know why?"

"I don't, and I still don't care." Riella turned back to Ember. "I apologize for this, really."

"Don't you ignore me!" Lockdown's hook hand smashed down barely a millimeter from Riella's fingers. She flinched unintentionally. "You know, I know an awful lot about you," the bounty hunter hissed. "I know that you don't come from around here, and you know what? I can find out where you come from…and why you're hiding. That's what I do."

"Hey, hey, hey." Minerva turned away from the other end of the bar. "Ya don't hassle mah workers, ya hear me, mech? Chill out, or get out."

Lockdown shot one final glare at Riella before leaving the bar. The femme sighed. "So much for a nice evening. I'm sorry about that, Ember."

"It was not your fault." Ember finished her drink with a nod. "He can be a mean one. So, where _are_ you from?"

"Uhh…" Riella tensed. "Cybertron?"

**Spaceport 1, Junkion**

Prowl elbowed his way through the crowd, trying to stay close enough to Jazz and Blackarachnia to talk to them. "That's the fifth shop, and still nothing. Suggestions?"

"I vote we head back," Jazz yelled over the noise. "She might've never come this far into the city. 'Specially if she was in a rush."

Blackarachnia frowned irritably. "Whee. It's even _louder _back there."

Prowl didn't bother answering, beyond a rude gesture. The femme snickered and followed him toward the small shop on the corner of the spaceport.

Shiftswitch stepped out of the back with a smile, wiping his hands on an old rag. "Welcome, welcome. How can I help you lot today?"

"We're looking for somebot," Jazz told him, after a long moment of silence from the other two. "Femme, about so tall, aqua-blue paint job, big blue optics…"

"Hmm." The Junkion studied them for a long moment. "I might know what you mean, then again, I might not. Depends on who's asking…and if they're willing to support the information business."

Blackarachnia glided forward, red optics glowing dangerously. "I'm gonna ask nicely. Once." She bared her small fangs in a smile and clicked the poisonous spines above her shoulders. "Where is she?"

Shiftswitch blinked nervously. "Ah, well, now. No call for that. A femme matching that description stopped here about…oh, three, four solar cycles ago. Cute little thing. Seventh-ed grounder?"

"Yeah, that's her…right?" Jazz looked to Prowl for confirmation. The darker mech frowned and nodded.

Blackarachnia smiled sweetly. "See? That wasn't too hard. Did she say where she was going?"

"Away," Shiftswitch shrugged. "I didn't ask. I'm a salesman. I don't deal in that stuff…unless it's big."

Prowl rolled his optics. "Fine. Since you're a salesman, what did you sell to her?"

The Junkion's smile returned. "Well, see, there's a certain confidentiality as far as the sales relationship goes…" He caught sight of Blackarachnia's optics narrowing and her shoulder spines tensing. "She wanted a hoverbike upgrade, a few small mods, and a color chip. Before you ask, I don't remember the color."

"You're sure that's all you remember?" Blackarachnia purred, inching closer.

"Ah…no. A visor. She had a red visor. I remember that one, 'cause she wanted to cover up those pretty optics."

The femme nodded with a satisfied smirk. "Red visor, hoverbike upgrade…I'd say we've got a profile for our girl, you think?"

"Let's go." Prowl was out of the shop before he finished his sentence.

Jazz tossed a few credits in Shiftswitch's direction as Blackarachnia left. "Thanks, mech. Owe you one."

Shiftswitch shook his head. "If you were gonna pay me, why bring the techno?"

"You know." Jazz chuckled. "Insurance. Never know who might try to pull something on us."

The Junkion sighed and returned to his workroom as Jazz exited. "That's the spaceport for you…one day's quiet, next day there's someone wanting everything you know."


	8. Chapter 8

_Yes, Jazz and Blackarachnia are immature. But it's funny. And yes, the term 'bat-crap crazy' is borrowed from The Big Bang Theory. _

_New story recommendation: check out "Paranoia" by TacticianZephine. It's Ember's backstory in this universe, and it's awesome._

**Chapter 8**

**Shuttle, somewhere in space**

Jazz slumped into the pilot's seat with a groan. In the two days it had taken them to get to the space bridge that led to Axiom Nexus, everyone had developed an edge. Except for Prowl, of course.

Prowl could much better be described by the human term bat-crap crazy.

"Jazz! I asked you a question!"

"Yes, I know," the older mech sighed. "And we are exactly five minutes closer than the _last_ time you asked."

Prowl stalked away, grumbling too quietly for Jazz to hear. It was probably just as well; the comment was sure to be rude, and after the last two hours, it wasn't like Jazz needed an excuse to punch his friend in the face.

Blackarachnia shoved past Prowl on her way into the cockpit, ignoring his irritated huff at her blatant disregard for personal space. "Hey, Guard ninja."

Jazz snapped. "NO, we're not there yet! YES, we are at full power! And NO, I will NOT help you tinker with the controls to make it better! It's a slaggin' emergency shuttle, not an Omega Sentinel! Go away!"

"Whoa, what crawled up _your_ tailpipe?!" Blackarachnia's optics narrowed. "I said hello! What's with the attitude?"

"Sorry," the white mech muttered sheepishly. "Prowl's been on my case."

"Just shut off your audio receptors. It works with Blitzwing." The technorganic settled into the seat beside him.

Jazz rolled his optics. "I tried that."

"And?"

"He pulled the chair out from under me."

Blackarachnia snickered. "Okay, Prowler's a little touchy after a week in a spaceship. Hasn't he ever had bad travel conditions before?"

"Depends. The last ship he and Bee were on together was an Omega Sentinel. Room to hide. And I don't think a few millennia on a shuttle with just Riella counts as bad conditions. They probably liked it."

Blackarachnia froze for a moment before her optics narrowed and she smirked. "Oh, I'm sure they had _fun_."

"Primus! That's _so_ not what I meant." Jazz chuckled. "You do have a point, even if they both _insist_ the relationship started on Earth."

"Oh please." The femme winked at him. "You really think they were 'just friends' for two millennia and never got something going with no one else around?"

"For your information, we were, and we never did."

Both of them spun around, Blackarachnia biting her lip to hide the smirk. "Hi, Prowler."

"Don't call me that." Prowl stared challengingly at the window. "Shouldn't we be there by now?"

Jazz groaned. "I thought I told you to go away."

"I did. I came back and found out you two are ridiculously immature. Riella and I managed to be _friends_ and nothing more through our entire training and the following millennia." Prowl glared at them. "Now, how long?"

Another sigh. "Thirty minutes."

Blackarachnia purred. "Are you sure that wasn't a 'friends with benefits' thing? OW!"

Prowl retrieved the shutter remote with a growl. "It absolutely was _not_. Call me when we're through the space bridge."

"Great. Will do. Get lost."

**Riella's Shuttle, Axiom Nexus Shuttle Bay**

The femme keyed in her access code with a yawn. The last few solar cycles had been refreshingly Lockdown-free, allowing her to get used to the basic workings of the bar without dealing with his harassment, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

An unfamiliar presence flitted across her mental radar briefly. Not someone who was usually around at this time of night (or morning, if you wanted to get technical).

"Hello?" she called, shifting her visor to maximum night vision. That was one benefit of that thing. "Who's there?"

No response, but the presence flicked across her processor again. A mech. One she had never clearly sensed…

"Who are you? Show yourself!"

Nothing.

"Huh." Riella sighed and re-activated the door, which had closed while she wasn't paying attention. "Someone's got nothing useful to do."

A sudden, intense flash of _focus_ shot through her processor. She whirled, blades drawn and raised. "Get back!"

No one was there. Just the slight feeling of that mech, too far away to be clearly on her radar and too close to disappear entirely.

She ducked into the shuttle and slammed the door, locking it and deactivating the access code. No one would get in without heavy-duty explosives.

_Not Lockdown. I know that much. Who else has a reason to follow me? Would his partner go that far? Or do I just have a psycho stalker? _

**Shuttle, orbiting Axiom Nexus**

"Do I _have _to call him?" Jazz muttered. "Can't I find a parking spot before I get the stir-crazy kid up here?"

"Are we there yet?"

Blackarachnia slumped into the chair. "Yes, Prowl, we're in orbit. Let Jazz find somewhere to land."

"Where are we landing?"

Jazz bit his lip hard enough to hurt. "I. Don't. Know. Probably the main spaceport. We'll find a quiet spot and start looking for her in the morning."

Prowl narrowed his optics behind the blue visor. "I want to start tonight. The more ground we cover, the better."

"No fraggin' way, ninja. Sorry." Blackarachnia flicked a strand of webbing at him, which he dodged. "We all need rest. If Riella stayed here this long, she's not going anywhere tonight. She's got enough street smarts to stay in one place at night in a big spaceport. It's a rough city out there, and Autobots aren't exactly welcome around here."

"Will that be a problem?" Jazz frowned. "I don't like the idea of gettin' into a fight…"

"Not if you cover those insignias and keep your visors on. Pretty blue optics like yours won't go unnoticed." Blackarachnia stood up and stretched. "I'm turning in for the night. Prowl, if you try to leave, I swear I'll tie you to your berth."

"Hmmph." Prowl leaned against the wall with a scowl.

Jazz followed the femme out. "He's gonna try anyway. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do. I locked the door."

Twenty standard minutes later, Prowl was struggling to pry the emergency seal off the escape pod door. "Slaggit, don't they even _want_ to find her?" He managed to make a gap and wriggle through just before it snapped shut. _Now, I don't think she'd go to the upper area if she could help it, but she's probably not in the undercity either. I'll check the mid-city levels first, see if her shuttle is around…_

_If you were curious (shame on you) Prowl is technically telling the truth. No 'friends with benefits' arrangements. Doesn't mean there weren't feelings involved, of course… ;) _


	9. Chapter 9

_Short little update. Enjoy. _

**Chapter 9**

**Somewhere in the midcity, Axiom Nexus**

Prowl dodged a visibly overcharged mech with a slight growl of irritation. Five separate bars, clubs, and other places where Riella might have tried to blend in, and _nothing_. He was starting to wonder if they had been wrong. Maybe she wasn't here. Maybe she was on the other side of the galaxy.

Flashing neon lights caught his attention briefly. Yet another club. Not really Riella's thing, but still, worth a look.

The club interior had just as many neon lights as any other, although it was definitely darker and less crowded than most. The black and blue-tinted singer on the small stage caught Prowl's attention briefly, but he shook his head after a moment's study. The femme was taller than Riella, and the voice was completely different.

Disappointed, the ninja turned and pushed his way to the edge of the bar, tapping the barmech on the shoulder plate. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, what can I get ya?" The mech barely even glanced at him, preoccupied as he was fixing some drink or other.

Prowl had to yell to be heard over the noise. "I'm looking for someone. Have you seen a femme, about this tall, with a red visor and a hoverbike mode?"

"Kid, even if I had, I probably wouldn't remember," the barmech growled. "All I can say is I haven't seen one tonight. Now do you want a drink or not?"

"No, thank you." The ninja's shoulders slumped with disappointment. "Are you sure? Is there anyone else I could ask?"

The barmech's purple optics narrowed. "Ask a bounty hunter. Or hire one."

"Oh, that's helpful," Prowl snapped, turning and storming away from the bar. Irritated as he was, he didn't notice the expression on the faceplates of the larger mech in front of him until _after_ he shoved him out of the way.

"Hey, _watch it_, glitch!"

Next thing Prowl knew, he was flat on his back, processor spinning from the punch.

_Slag it all._

**Minerva's, Axiom Nexus**

The bar was quieter than it had been the last night, but Riella noticed that Road Rage was looking – and feeling – exhausted. The moment there was no one waiting, she made her way to the other femme.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Road Rage jumped slightly. "Don't sneak up on me like that! Yeah. Fine. Just…no recharge."

Riella patted her arm sympathetically. "Nightmares?"

"You could say that." Road Rage shrugged. "What about you? You're tense."

Riella checked quickly to make sure no one was listening. "I think someone's been following me. I can't tell who."

The other femme's optics flickered with concern. "Have you tried changing your route home?"

"Yes."

"Turning and confronting them?"

"Yes. Whoever it is was gone."

"How about sending them a very pointed psychic warning? As in a distinct feeling that their processor will be wiped if they approach."

Riella's optics widened in a startled glare. "What?"

"Not a bad thing, kid." Road Rage shot a frown in the direction of one mech who was getting too loud. "All you have to do is focus on their mind and – "

"Road Rage, I don't want to do that." Riella shook her head emphatically. "That may be how you survived, but it's not how I want to live. That would make me just what everyone thinks telepaths are."

"Suit yourself." Road Rage turned to corral the mech, who clearly hadn't gotten the message. "I just hope you have some other way to stop your stalker."

**Shuttle bay, Axiom Nexus**

Prowl woke up with a groan. "Owwww…."

"I told you not to go out." Blackarachnia's face blurred into his field of vision. "Just be glad you can still talk."

"What happened?" Prowl tried to sit up and winced.

"You got into a fight. Jazz and I had to pull you out of the local impound. Are you happy now?" Blackarachnia glared down at him. "Now we can wait until you can walk again to go find Riella."


	10. Chapter 10

_Hey, look who found the time to update! :D Lockdown is fun. _

**Chapter 10**

**Outside Minerva's, Axiom Nexus**

Riella waved to Minerva through the window as she turned to go. "I'll see you tomorrow, Road Rage, unless you need help closing up."

"Nah, I got this." Road Rage's mouth quirked in half a smile. "Take a different route home, don't walk in the shadows, and get some rest."

Riella chuckled tiredly at her friend's warning. "Will do. I haven't sensed anything for a bit; maybe he got bored?"

"Don't take that chance, femme. Play it safe."

The first five minutes of the walk back were quiet, even though Riella had taken a shortcut through a neighborhood that was usually pretty rough. In retrospect, that should have clued her in to the fact that something wasn't quite right.

Just as she turned into the last alley, the presence stabbed into her processor like a shot, and she whirled to see a burly mech standing only a few feet away.

"Lockdown. I should have known," she hissed. _How did he get that close without my noticing?_

The bounty hunter's laugh echoed off the walls. "Yeah, you should've, darlin'."

Riella lowered her hands into the attack position for her preferred form, Metallikato. "Back off. I don't want to fight you."

"But you will if I make you?" Lockdown deliberately took a step closer, forcing her to back off. "You're gonna have to do better than Metallikato if you want to threaten _me_."

_He knows Metallikato? _Riella's spark pulsed just a touch faster. She forced her ventilations to slow down in response. "I'm not going to ask again, Lockdown. Back. Off."

Lockdown smirked. "Make me."

She sensed the step coming just a second before he moved, and was already responding, driving her right heel into his left knee. As he cursed and stumbled forward, she kicked off his thigh, flipped over his lowered shoulder, and landed behind him on her feet, sprinting back the way she had come.

**Undercity, Axiom Nexus**

"Are you _sure_?" Jazz stared down one of the dark alleys. "Sorry. I just can't see Riella hangin' out down here."

Blackarachnia rolled all four of her red optics. "And that would be why the Elite Guard is no match for a good hunter. Riella's smart. If she decides to disappear, she'll do it somewhere no one would ever look."

Jazz shrugged. "I guess, but why stick around, then? Sure, I get that she can't run forever, but _this_ -" He gestured to a half-demolished bar and the scrawny mech crouched just inside, toying with some kind of improvised weapon. "How long's she gonna last in a place like this?"

"She made it for a decade at least," Prowl snapped. "I just don't see why she'd ever come back."

"Old habits die hard," Blackarachnia remarked calmly. "You know Riella well, Prowl; can you honestly see her trying to hide in unfamiliar territory? Trust me, that femme will _never _blend in with the higher levels, but with a little bit of color adjustment, she'd fit in here. No, that's not an insult," she added, as the ninja flushed angrily. "It's a fact."

"You mind backin' up here?" Jazz frowned. "Riella was a street kid? Never could'a guessed."

"It's…complicated." Prowl shot a glare in the direction of a mech who came too close. "Let's just say that at the time, it was an easy hiding place."

**Back Alley, Undercity, Axiom Nexus**

Riella dropped into a crouch to avoid a swing from Lockdown's chainsaw and snap-kicked up into his midriff. The blow barely knocked the bounty hunter back a foot, but that was just enough room for Riella to roll back on her shoulders and put some distance between them. Lockdown was bigger, faster, and stronger than she was; her only chance was to stay out of his way and try to catch him in a mistake.

But just as she thought she saw one, it became apparent that the bounty hunter knew far more about Metallikato than she had initially assumed. What had looked like an opening for a blow had drawn her in too close, and before the femme could pull back, he had grabbed her wrist and slammed her to the ground.

"Ahhhh!" Riella's body jolted painfully as she hit the pavement, vents rasping as she tried to force her gyros to reboot faster.

Lockdown loomed over her, dentas bared in a sadistic smirk. "Calm down, darlin', and I won't hurt you…much." His processor waves were giving off a far more disturbing sensation.

"Frag you!" The femme pulled her knee back to her chest and smashed her heel into Lockdown's crotch plating. Panic-fueled as it was, the kick knocked the burly mech back only a few steps, but it made him double over slightly in pain. That made just enough space for Riella to roll over, push herself upright, and use the edge of her hand to slam into the bottom of his chin, throwing him over backward. The instant he fell, the femme turned and bolted, hoping to get out of the alley before he got up.

She didn't make it four steps before the dart bit into her main energon line, and she collapsed, cables suddenly going limp.

As she struggled to move, the blurry image of a familiar mech loomed over her. The processor sense told her that _this _mech, not Lockdown, was her stalker.

"Oil Slick," she rasped, unable to even turn her head. "What do you want?"

Oil Slick smiled down at her, baring sharp fangs, and stepped over her without answering. "She's not going anywhere, Lockdown. Are you hurt?"

"You really think a little girl could do any damage to me?" Lockdown chuckled. "No, I'm fine. More than I can say for you…" He knelt beside the paralyzed femme and ripped off the visor, ignoring her yelp of pain as the bolts tore loose. "…Riella."

Her optics widened in terror as the bounty hunter scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder.


	11. Chapter 11

_Wow, look who's still alive! _

_This chapter is the reason for the rating, peeps. So if anyone gets uncomfortable, I'm sorry, but it's supposed to be uncomfortable. Lockdown and Oil Slick are creeps; what else can I say?_

_Oh right. A disclaimer. Ember's not mine. She belongs to TacticianZephine. _

**Chapter 11**

**Minerva's, Axiom Nexus**

The small black hoverbike glided up to the front of the bar and transformed into Ember. "It's been a long time since you called me for a favor, Road Rage. Why now?"

Road Rage stood up. "What took you?"

"Traffic." Ember studied the other femme. "You are not usually this concerned for someone. A family member? Someone close to you?"

"A friend." Road Rage gestured, and both started walking. "You met Firelight."

"Yes. She is in trouble?"

Road Rage sighed. "It's a _very _long story. Let's just say she's hiding out here from something worse than Longarm Prime, Firelight's not her real name, and every instinct I have tells me that she's in way over her helm right now."

Ember nodded without questioning that statement. Members of Intel learned to trust their instincts, and Road Rage seemed to have particularly good ones. "What is her real name?"

"I…" Road Rage hesitated. "She trusted me, Ember."

"I understand, and you can trust me as well. This information will not be found through me. But if we are going to help her, I must know at least who she truly is."

Road Rage closed her optics for a moment. "Her name is Riella. She's an Autobot member of a team stationed on planet Earth, and she was forced to leave due to problems with a superior."

"Much as we were." Ember nodded. "Very well. We will find her."

**_Death's Head _(Lockdown's ship), shuttle bay, Axiom Nexus**

Riella's frame went rigid, straining against the bonds, optics shuttered tightly against the pain. She barely stifled a cry as the saw finally bit through the last portion of her hoverbike modification and Lockdown pulled it away.

"Not bad, darlin'." The bounty hunter tossed the heavy kibble section onto a shelf carelessly. "Not real high-quality, but it'll bring in some creds."

Oil Slick, leaning against the nearest wall, snickered. "Anything will, these days. You done yet?"

"Sure." Lockdown deactivated the chainsaw with a dull rasping sound. Riella's head dropped back against the table as images of the warehouse flashed through her processor. _Hands grating against her chest plates…oil splattering across her face…_

"Hmm…they didn't specify anything about untouched, did they?" Oil Slick ran a hand gently over Riella's helm, drawing an involuntary shudder.

Lockdown adjusted the heavy cables pinning Riella to the narrow table. "Nah. She's all yours. 'Alive' is the only requirement."

Riella kept her optics closed as a rough hand slid down across her cheek, down her neck, and onto her side. She was suddenly very aware of the sensation of oil trickling down her back and pooling on the table, of the coldness of the air around her, and of the weight of the cables on her wrists, neck, and ankles. _Back in the dark. Only one light. Pinned down. Hurt. _Her spark constricted painfully. _Ow. _

"Who…who are you working for?" she rasped, trying to distract herself from the rising pain and fear. _Cold. Hurts. Alone. _"Who wants me alive?"

Lockdown chuckled darkly. "That's for me to know and you to find out…eventually." His single hand ran up one of her arms to stroke her shoulder, raking his fingers lightly against the paint. "I'll just say he's not picky."

Riella jerked away from him in disgust, only to find her side pressing straight into Oil Slick's fingers. With a shiver, she tried to pull away from the two mechs leaning over her, but it did no good. Their laughter mingled and drowned out her half-choked sobs.

**Back Alley, Undercity, Axiom Nexus**

Ember knelt beside the paint scrapes on the ground. "Your hypothesis that Lockdown was responsible appears to be correct. These traces match his - what is wrong?"

Road Rage had already activated a small handgun in her forearm and was staring fixedly at the far end of the alley. "We're not alone."

"Who is it?" Ember's purple optics narrowed briefly in Road Rage's direction as she stood.

Road Rage, sensing her companion's instant suspicion directed toward her, shook her head. "Two mechs. One femme. Not aware of us, yet."

Without needing to discuss it, both of them stepped out of the alley to block the new arrivals' paths.

Prowl, slightly ahead of Jazz and Blackarachnia, stopped short as the two femmes appeared. "Who are you?"

"None of your concern," the taller of the two, a red, white, and blue femme with a frame similar to Optimus's, snapped. "What are you doing here?"

Blackarachnia shot Prowl a glare that probably meant _shut up before you put your foot in your mouth _and held up a placating hand. "We're looking for someone. A femme, about so tall, roughly his age –" she gestured to Prowl "– with a red visor and a hoverbike alternate mode?"

The smaller, black, femme frowned pointedly. "Who is asking and why?"

"She's my friend," Prowl said quietly, his tone slightly dangerous. "More than my friend. If you know where she is, _tell me._"

The black femme raised her hands into a fighting stance, but the red femme shook her head with a quick gesture to her friend and studied Prowl for a long moment. "More than her friend. Are you Prowl?"

"Yes," Prowl stammered, caught completely off guard. "How did you –"

"Because Riella used precisely the same term to describe your relationship." The femme retracted her weapon and extended a hand. "My name is Road Rage. I've been working with her since just after she arrived a few weeks ago. This is Ember, a friend of mine."

Prowl hesitated, but accepted the hand cautiously. "You know my name, and Riella's. She trusted you?"

"We share certain…qualities. They drew us together." Road Rage's optic narrowed in what might have been a wink.

_Oh. Primus. Another one. _ Prowl sighed. "This is Jazz and Blackarachnia. We've been searching for Riella. Where is she?"

Ember, who seemed to have decided that they were at least not a threat, if not fully trustworthy, responded. "We are not sure. She was apparently taken – where and why, we do not know yet."

"What?" Prowl lunged forward and stopped just short of Ember – a good thing, he realized belatedly, since she had a very sharp knife touching his throat before he could blink. "Who took her? When? How did you know?"

"Please back away from my friend, Prowl," Road Rage said coldly. "She was not involved. Neither was I." A sharp tingle of something _wrong_ ran through the back of Prowl's processor, and he flinched instinctively and stepped back.

"Thank you." Road Rage continued as if nothing had happened. "Now, I can't say when she was taken – Ember might be able to guess – but it must have been sometime in the last hour and a half, because that was the last time I saw her. And she was taken by a bounty hunter who tends to work for the Decepticons. His name is Lockdown."

"Lockdown," Prowl growled, fists clenching. "That son of a _glitch_. If he lays one hand on her…"

Blackarachnia put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Prowl. Focus."

"Who's Lockdown?" Jazz glanced from Prowl to Road Rage. "I think I've heard the name."

"He was on Earth a few months ago. Probably has it out for us after losing to Ratchet and Optimus." Prowl's optics narrowed in concentrated fury. "I know what his ship looks like. Can either of you find the most likely place for him to dock?"

"I would guess bay 94," Ember offered. "Quiet, not particularly expensive, and most importantly, not frequented by officials. Ever."

Prowl stared past her at the streaks of blue paint on the ground. _Riella. I'm coming. _"Take us there."

_…Yes. Docking Bay 94 is a blatant Star Wars reference. I'm not sorry. _


	12. Chapter 12

_Usual disclaimers. Violent chapter, also. I hope I didn't just kill everyone's liking for Riella. This was a tough chapter to write. It had to be done._

**Chapter 12**

**Docking Bay 94, Axiom Nexus**

Prowl crouched behind an abandoned shuttlecraft and studied the red ship in the middle of the docking bay. "That's it. Lockdown's ship."

Road Rage's optics narrowed calculatingly. "She's close. Inside, I think. So are they."

Cautiously, Prowl stretched out mentally, the way Riella had taught him, and tried to project toward her. _Riella? It's me._

"_She's closed off." _

The mech jumped slightly and glared at Road Rage, who frowned at him and shook her head slightly, gesturing toward Ember, Jazz, and Blackarachnia. Her voice echoed inside his head again. _"I can feel her, but only just. She's shutting down _hard_. It's not just fear. Something's wrong with her."_

_Trauma,_ Prowl growled. _Trust me, you don't want to know. We have to get her out of there now. _Jaw clenched in fury, the dark ninja stood up and stalked toward the ship.

"Prowl, wait up!" Jazz grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back. Prowl shook him off. "What're ya doin', mech? We need a plan!"

"I have a plan." Behind the blue visor, Prowl's optics narrowed to icy blue slits. "Find Riella. Get her out. Eliminate anyone in the way."

"That's not a plan," Blackarachnia snapped. "That's a suicide mission."

Road Rage chimed in. "Have you ever actually gone up against Lockdown?"

"Actually, yes, I have." Prowl stopped a few yards from the ship's outer wing and stared up at the hatch. "It doesn't matter anyway. Riella needs me. I'll do whatever it takes. She'd do it for me." He turned to look briefly at the others, 'bots who had chosen to help even though he didn't even know two of them and hadn't been particularly nice to the others. "None of you have to do this."

Blackarachnia cycled her vents. "She's my friend too. I'm with you."

"As are we." Ember spoke for both herself and Road Rage.

Jazz placed one hand on Prowl's shoulder. "Let's get our Riella back."

Prowl forced half a smile. "Thank you. All of you." He squared his shoulders, turned, and walked briskly toward the ship's hatch. _I'm coming, Riella._

The moment he got within three yards of the ship, its auto-defense kicked in, and a hail of laser bolts turned the once-quiet docking bay into a battle zone.

**Inside the **_**Death's Head**_

Lockdown released his grip on Riella with a snarl of frustration. "What the slag is going on?" Activating his arm-mounted chainsaw, the bounty hunter stormed off toward the entry tunnel. "'Slick, she's not going anywhere. C'mon."

Riella gasped softly in relief as the pain of Oil Slick's claws in her elbow joint faded and the two mechs disappeared from sight. For a long moment, she lay slumped against the table, fighting to regain some control of her terrified processor.

_I'm not back There. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not. Not There, not There, not There. Whatever they do, it's not like Them. Not that bad. Not like There. Not like There. _Her racing processor settled, just barely. _Think, think, think. Got to get out, got to get out, got to get out. _She twisted and strained against the cables pinning her down frantically. Other than pressing her right wrist up into the cable slightly – _Wait. Wait. _She yanked at her wrist again, feeling the cable give. Just slightly, but almost enough…_No. No. No! Not enough!_ Her thumb joint was in the way, keeping her hand pinned to the table.

She twisted and pulled. The joint popped slightly, and suddenly Riella knew how she would get out. _This is going to hurt. Got to get out. This is going to hurt. _The joint began to shift more and more, cables starting to strain. _Hurts. Hurts. Got to get out. Got to get out. Hurts. _The socket made a sickening crack, and the restraints started to loosen. _Hurtshurtshurts – gottogetoutgottogetout – hurtshurtshurtshurtssobad – gottogetoutgottogetoutgottog etOUT!_ Riella's thumb joint dislocated with a crunch and a flare of pain that shot all the way to her elbow, and her hand slipped free. Shaking and gasping from the pain, she stretched out for the control panel – _Reach. Reach. Almost. Got it. _The carbon-fiber cables retracted abruptly, and the femme slid onto her side and rolled onto the floor, landing with a heavy thud. Oil smeared the table, the floor, and the control panel as she pulled herself upright.

Shivering, vents rasping painfully, Riella stumbled toward the weapon racks lining the wall. _Weapon. Need a weapon. Lucky I didn't have my blades. He'd have taken them. _Oddly enough, despite her worsening physical condition, her processor was clearing through the pain. On a lower rack, she spotted a small gun – lightweight, but it would pack a punch. _It'll do. It'll do. _Her right hand tried to close on the grip, and the dislocated joint sent waves of pain rushing through her again.

_Owowowowow!_ Riella dropped to her knees, whimpering faintly. Somehow, through it all, her left hand closed on the gun, and suddenly she was back on her feet, running for the rear exit, stumbling against walls and knocking over various things.

Moments of blurry running later, her feet hit solid ground. She staggered, leaning against the ship for support, and pulled herself around to the front. The view in front of her registered slowly, in snapshots, like a crime scene log.

_Blackarachnia pinned by…something. Ember trying to cut her free._

_Jazz blocking Lockdown's shots. _

_Road Rage destroying an automated cannon._

_Prowl. Prowl. He's here. Prowl. Why? Why? _

Then Oil Slick's position registered – just in front of her. Gun leveled. Some kind of toxin loaded. His thoughts reaching her.

"_I'll slow you down, ninja, damn you…"_

And suddenly everything was crystal clear, and her left hand responded to the signals she sent, lifting the gun to just inches behind the bounty hunter's head, and her vocalizer started working. It didn't even sound like her. Deeper, rougher, a savage growl.

"**Damn. **_**This**_**.**"

Her finger closed on the trigger. The gun barked sharply. And for once it was someone else's oil splattering her frame.


End file.
